Together We Are
by Chinokitty
Summary: Well, this is sort of an "improvement" story, so the chapters do get better as you read along. A highschool AU about Ivan and Gilbert's friendship/romance, what ever this turns out to be. On hiatus. (As of 2014 I have come to terms with being too embarrassed to look at this story, so it's unlikely it will be continued. However, I'm keeping it up in case I'm inspired.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi. this is my first proper story.. ^^;**

**This chapter really sucks, but keep reading. The other chapters will DEFINITELY be better!  
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**Together We Are...**

**Chapter 1: Together We Share A Room**

Ivan walked into the main office of his new school, looking around thoughtfully at the neat room in front of him.

"Can I help you?" a young woman at the office desk asked.

Ivan looked at her, she was young, with long, light brown hair, and bright green eyes. Her name tag read Elizabetha.

"Yes, I'm the new student, I was supposed to arrive here on Monday, but my flight was delayed." He said.

"Oh! Yes, I've heard about you!" she paused, looking confused, " I was told you're supposed to be in ninth grade, your ... very tall..."

"I'm sixteen. I started school a bit late is all," Ivan huffed, slightly annoyed. He hated when people mentioned his height or size. He was just big boned!

"Of course, I'll give you your timetable and show you to your room, which you'll be sharing with someone else." Elizabetha moved from behind the desk, and was at Ivan's side in a flash, taking him by the arm and pulling him towards the boys dorms.

Ivan noticed how eager she was to get there, and wondered if she was some kind of pervert, or maybe, she was just naturally pushy...

"We're here!" her loud voice cut through his thoughts.

Elizabetha pushed open the door without knocking, Ivan noticed, and led him inside.

"Hey Gil! I've got your roommate here! Come and say hi!"

"Shut the fuck up Liz!" A guy around Ivan's age came out of the bathroom. There were two things Ivan immediately noticed about him. One: He was albino, and good looking at that, and Two: he had a massive bruise on the side of his face.

"WOW Gil! What the hell happened to your FACE?" Liz practically yelled. "Gil" just looked pissed and directed his attention to Ivan instead.

"Are you my new roommate? I'm Gilbert, nice to meet you." He said.

Ivan's face heated up a little as the albino boy stared at him with those enchanting reddish-brown eyes. They really did suit him… Damn! Those ridiculous thoughts again!

Ivan inwardly cringed at what his brain was coming up with, and instead of replying, just extended his hand towards Gilbert.

"Well, I better leave you two lovebirds alone now~" Elizabetha said in a sing-song voice and exited the room.

The two boys left just stared at each other for a while. Gilbert was the one to break the silence.

"So… you wanna get lunch or something?" He asked, checking his watch. "I think the cafeteria's just about to open."

"Sure."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

By the time they got to the cafeteria room, small groups of people were slowly filing in. Gilbert scanned the area for his friends, who he shared most of his life with. After about a minute, he caught site of two blonds and a brunette that were sitting in a corner, the brunette laughing loudly. He took Ivan by the sleeve, and dragged him over towards the small group.

"Hey, guys!" Gil waved at the threesome while still holding firmly on to Ivan. "I have someone for you to meet.! He's almost as awesome as I am, so you better be listening to me right now."

The three in the corner turned their attention to Gilbert. One of the blonds had spiky hair with a lip piercing, while the other had shiny shoulder length hair that was tied back with a red ribbon. He was dressed in the most recent designer clothes that probably cost a small fortune. The brunette had a light tan and startling green eyes.

"Oh, who's this? Gilbert, did you manage to drag someone into another one of your ridiculous schemes again?" The spiky blond asked.

"No dude," Gil said as they got closer, "Say hello to my new roommate, Ivan... uh... what's your last name?" He asked.

Ivan smiled pleasantly at the group, "It's Braginski, Ivan Braginski. I'm so glad to meet all of you."

"Ohohohon.. Well then, it's lovely to meet you too, Ivan." The other blond said in an obnoxious French accent while smiling deviously. "I am Francis Bonnefoy, that spiky haired grouch over there is Arthur Kirkland, and this is Antonio F. Carriedo," Francis said, pulling the brunette into a one-armed hug.

Ivan and Gilbert sat down next to the others with their lunches and started discussing their day so far.

Gilbert decided that since nobody had bothered to notice his slightly damaged face, he would make it known to them. The truth was that during his first period that morning, which was sport, they had been playing dodgeball, and the ball had slammed into his face while he'd been spacing out, but he couldn't tell them that. Gil had to make his injury sound absolutely epic, otherwise they'd think he was lame.

"So, guys. I'm now going to enlighten you with the knowledge of how I got this awesome bruise on my face." He said, pointing towards his left cheek.

The others, including Ivan, -who didn't normally bother listening to other people's complaints about the hardships in their lives, turned to Gilbert, slightly interested at the approach he was taking to his injury.

Satisfied with the attention, Gil began spinning a more exciting version of his story.

"Well, I was there in the gym, playing dodgeball as awesomely as ever, when this kid -Alfred- runs at me from the other side and practically whacks the damn ball in my face."

At hearing Alfred's name, Arthur tensed up a little. Alfred was his roommate, -and boyfriend- who had gotten a detention that morning for an unknown reason. Maybe this was it.

"... and after that there was this big fight between us," Gil was still talking, "and this other guy had to break us up and Alfred got a detention." He finished in a satisfied tone.

There was an awkward silence for a while until Arthur suddenly stood up, mumbling something about going to see if Alfred was out of detention yet, and power walking away.

* * *

><p>After lunch, Gilbert and Ivan had to split up for the last class of the day. The school he attended was unlike most other secondary colleges, due to it having only four classes a day, each lasting for eighty minutes.<p>

Gilbert had his math class now, which he was always quite confident about. Despite common rumours, Gilbert Beilschmidt actually got very good grades. Of course, he wasn't a genius, but for the past few years, he had really worked on accomplishing his studying skills and overall grades, -which were of high standard- to please his grandfather. The man who had worked his whole life to raise two generations of offspring. Gilbert's parents had both died of cancer when he was five, leaving him and his little brother ludwig -who was four at the time- to his stern but kind grandfather.

As he approached the classroom, Gilbert walked right into Alfred Jones, the boy who he had been spreading minor rumours about just an hour before.

"Hey Gil," Alfred said quietly, "We gotta talk."

Gilbert paled as he heard the words leave Alfred's mouth. Alfred Jones was known to be ridiculously strong at times, and even though he had a purely unhealthy diet of hamburgers and fries without a hint of green in the mix, he was very fit and surprisingly energetic to the point of annoying.

"Y-yeah, what is it?" Gilbert frowned at his own stuttering. "Hurry up, Mr Edelstein will yell at me _again_ if I com in late. He's so un-awesome."

Alfred wondered if he was going to be taken seriously with what he was about to say, since he was saying it to Gilbert, but decided he should voice his thoughts anyway. "Listen, Gil, Arthur told me about that story you spouted in the cafeteria today. He got all up in my face and lectured me about hitting people, but I didn't, okay!" Al complained, "I didn't hit you at all, so don't spread rumours about me or I actually might. I don't want arthur on my tail, and if this spreads around the school, my hero status might be stripped away form me!"

Of course. It wasn't anything serious. It never was, with Alfred. He only worried about his precious -and non-existent- hero status being blemished.

Gil through Alfred a smirk, and walked into the classroom.

"Don't worry, Jones. I won't spread petty rumours about you, so relax. Maybe we can even chill together sometime, yeah?" He said over his shoulder.

Al just looked doubtful and took his seat at the back of the classroom, in the opposite corner to Gil.

Then Mr Edelstein walked in and bored the class to death for the next eighty minutes.

**A/N:** **Oh Heys. Thanks to everyone who even looked at this story.**

**This second chapter is a lot better in my opinion. I hope you liked it.**

**Also, does anyone think this story is moving too fast? I could try and slow it down, but no guarantees ^^;**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Hi guys! Sorry for not updating in forever, but the chapter I'd originally written got lost, so I retyped half of it (changing A LOT of this chapter in the process) then, I procrastinated for a few months, and finally finished it today. I'm sorry for any typos that you may find, but I'm just too embarrassed to re-read this anymore... ;u;**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any of it's characters. (That's pretty obvious...)**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy~**

In all honesty, Ivan wasn't too surprised with Gilberts choice of friends. They were the type of people he usually saw sitting at the back of the class, playing with their phones, not bothering to even look like they gave a damn. But Gilbert was different somehow. When he walked by the atmosphere didn't radiate stupidity like it would from your average idiot. Ivan himself was very sensitive to his surroundings, making it harder to be around people. He never really was the social type, preferring to keep to himself, stay quiet, and mind his own business. He liked it better when everyone else was like that too, but of course, he couldn't remake the world even if he wanted too. And he did want to. This was why he always chose to sit in the farthest corner of the classroom, where people didn't bother him.

Ivan set his books down on the small desk and waited for the teacher to arrive. When he had checked his online timetable, Ivan had also had a chance to check who his teacher was for this class- which was music. It was some guy called Feliciano Vargas, who was apparently his home room teacher too. They hadn't met yet so Ivan had no idea what this Vargas person was going to be like. Ivan wasn't even sure why he was in a music class in the first place, it wasn't like he was particularly talented with any sort of instrument. Occasionally, he played a balalaika, a guitar like instrument in Russia, but there was nothing special about that. He'd also tried the saxophone, but gave that up after a few years.

Ivan was brought out of his reminiscence when the class suddenly became silent, as if it were holding it's breath. A young man who was a good few inches shorter than Ivan stumbled in, trying to balance his tea and large stack of folders without dropping everything.

As he set his books down, Ivan finally managed to get a good look at his teachers face. All of a sudden he understood why the class was so quiet. Feliciano was one of the most adorable people he had ever seen. Ivan didn't usually fall for anything "cute" but Feli had this precious air about him that made him seem untouchable, in case one risked damaging him.

The music teachers chocolate eyes trailed across the room, searching for that new face he had been told would be joining his class. It didn't take long for him to spot Ivan, and when he did, Feliciano's face lit up.

"Ah! You must be Ivan!" He said excitedly. "I was wondering if I'd ever get to see your face, but I'd heard that your flight had been delayed, so I was forced to wait." was that a hint of a pout on his teachers face?

Ivan remained silent, not quite sure what to make of all this. No teacher had ever been happy to see him before. Usually they tried to avoid him for one reason or another, that's why Ivan was so surprised at Mr Vargas's enthusiasm.

"-Of course, then Lovi- that's my older brother, Ivan- got mad at me for being upset over a student and smacked me really hard. But that's okay, since I know he couldn't of possibly meant it!" The teacher carried on without missing a beat. "Oh, and before I say anything else, please call me Feliciano, or Feli. I get nervous when people refer to me as 'mister'. It's just way too formal for me." Feli concluded.

Ivan, deciding he would look rather stupid trying to put his thoughts into words at the moment, just nodded, hoping his expression wasn't too ridiculous. But by the smirks the other students were giving him, it obviously was. 'Oh well, they won't be smirking for long...' he thought.

**A/N : Well, that's it for this chapter. Please leave a comment on things you liked/thought could be better. This is all for my quest in becoming a better writer lol. XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, so I know I have a "once every few months" updating schedule, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait. It's the longest, (and hopefully the best) one yet! **

**Also, thanks so much to everyone who faved/subscribed! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. Nor do I own the pieces of music that I used as inspiration during this chapter.**

Eighty minutes and a few 'accidentally' stepped on feet later, Ivan emerged from the music room feeling refreshed from being able to stamp on his enemies' feet rather harshly, and walk away passing it off as his 'lack of coordination'. Yes sir, every one who dared even throw a smirk at him during class would now be sporting one very bruised and tender left or right foot, depending on which side of them Ivan had been standing on.

Somehow, Ivan had managed to actually get away with this when Feliciano asked him what exactly what he was doing, by spinning some yarn of how he once took a blow to the head that ever since resulted him in having random dizzy spells, and very clumsy feet. Mr Vargas had given him an incredulous look, before shrugging his shoulders and leaving things at that. He'd seen his students pull off stranger things, so why nitpick at a little balance issue? A couple of years ago he probably would have cried at such a story, but working with a group of bored teenagers had taught him not to take their stories too seriously.

As that had been Ivan's last class of the day, he was now free to do anything he pleased, so long as he didn't break any school rules, of course.

Being new to the school, and having acquainted himself with only his roommate and his somewhat idiotic friends, Ivan didn't have much to do, so he decided to return to his room. Maybe read a book or something.

Except he didn't have any books. And there really was nothing else to do.

So, his next plan of action was set for him. Find the library, and borrow a few books that caught his eye.

It seemed a simple enough task to accomplish so Ivan set off straight away, eager to get his hands on a good story. Something to keep him occupied for the rest of the day.

-oOo-

Okay, so maybe walking in any random direction hoping to find the library wasn't the best plan. Maybe he should have taken the map of the school that had been given to him.

Maybe Ivan was just losing his mind, because after wandering around aimlessly for the past three and a half hours, he didn't seem to be any closer to the library, and he couldn't remember which way he had come from.

Yes, he knew the school's campus was large, but he never thought it was possible for a school to be big enough for him to get lost in. It was like a freaking maze!

Ivan slumped down on the nearest bench and wondered what made him think it was a good idea to go exploring all by himself on his first day. For God's sake, he could have at least found Gilbert first. Then he wouldn't be in this situation!

Ivan couldn't even ask any other students for directions, since there were none outside at this time. It may only be six thirty, but the weather was getting colder each day, and so, no one really wanted to be outside freezing their butts off when they could be in their nice warm rooms instead.

Ivan continued to brood in this manner for the next few minutes, beating himself up over his lack of foresight. When he had finally calmed down enough to be able to think rationally, Ivan took a few deep breaths, and just sat there, examining his surroundings. He was sitting in a small garden filled with plants, most noticeably, lavender. There was a wooden sign to his right, reading "The Lavender Corner". Ivan supposed this place was made for the students to get some peace and quiet when they needed it.

The Lavender Corner was quite a charming little spot, actually. Especially in the evening, as the sun was setting, the whole area was soaked by its golden rays, highlighting the tiny pond that was placed inconspicuously by the thick plants. It was like some magical garden.

Ivan nearly slapped himself for thinking something so stupid. Sure, it was a cozy little spot, but he wasn't about to go hunting for fairies in it any time soon.

This thought was interrupted by the faint sound of music floating from nearby. Being a person who loved to take part in any of the arts, Ivan was drawn to the sound of the intermingling harmonies, all mixing perfectly together to create one big picture, or in this case, an orchestral piece from a movie.

As the melody ended, Ivan realized that he had somehow walked to the source of the sound, almost as if he had been hypnotized. His feet had stopped in front of a semi large building, which had posters plastered all over it's door advertising the academy's various music groups and events.

As he walked through the door, a blast of warm air hit him square in the face, enveloping his cold body, and warming up his blood so that Ivan could feel his fingers again.

A glassless window was built into the wall nearby, a bronze plaque above it stating that this was the "Music School Office". A man who looked astonishingly similar to Feliciano was sitting at the desk, staring into space with his head resting in his palm. Ivan guessed that this was the brother Feliciano was chattering on about earlier. What was his name again? Something like "Lovi"? What a strange name. It must be short for something, Ivan thought.

Ivan stood at the window and waved his hand in front of Lovi's face. The man snapped out of his daydream almost immediately, recoiling from the hand that was so close to his face.

"Get your grubby paws away from me you bastard!"shouted his music teachers brother, while threatening to stab him with a pen. Ivan backed away from the window, wondering how someone as sweet as Feliciano could be related to this bad tempered office assistant. He was even still yelling profanities at him. 'This is just a new level of unprofessional', Ivan thought.

"Whoa dude, who're you verbally murdering there?" a familiar voice asked, "You should seriously stop that man, you could lose your job. This is a school you know." said Gilbert, as he emerged from the room attached to the office.

Ivan was surprised to see his roommate wearing a pair of black frames and carrying a stack of papers as he tried to calm Lovi down. He looked pretty professional for someone who was only sixteen. What was he even doing here?

Before he could ask, Gilbert beat him to it.

"Hey Ivan, what're you doing here? And why is Lovino here so mad?" he asked.

Ivan wasn't quite sure what to say, so he shrugged his shoulders and answered Gilbert quietly, "I was going to the library, but then I got lost and ended up here. I didn't do anything to Lovi-" at hearing his name, Lovino seethed, muttering what sounded like 'bastard' under his breath. "But what are you doing here Gilbert? I didn't know you had a job." he said.

Gilbert shuffled his papers into a neat stack again before replying.

"I don't. This is more like volunteer work, really. The school needed someone who could organize the music events and forms for them, and since Potty Mouth over here has proven himself to be too useless to do anything properly-" Lovino huffed at the comment, but didn't say anything, "-they asked me. I don't know if you know this, Ivan, but I'm a nearly straight A student." Gilbert stated proudly, puffing out his chest a little. "The school knows they can trust me."

Ivan was still confused though. Exactly why would the academy ask Gilbert to do this job? Surely there were more qualified adults to do these tasks?

As if sensing Ivan's confusion, Gilbert spoke again. "You're wondering why they chose me, right?" he asked. Ivan nodded.

"Well, as much as my good grades help, it's obviously not enough to get such an important job. My dad is head of the music department here, and he's sort of a music fanatic, so when I refused to join any of the ensembles, he forced me into doing something music related. That's why this isn't a real job, Ivan. The school doesn't employ me. My dad had a word with the principal, and now it's compulsory for me to do this. Not that I mind. I just really didn't want to perform in front of people."

Ivan nodded again, getting a clear enough image of Gilbert's situation, although he wondered why Gilbert didn't want people to see him play. He didn't even know what kind of instrument he learnt, but Ivan decided not to ponder on it too much.

They stayed silent for a while. Gilbert going about his business, Ivan reading all the posters on the wall, and Lovino sulking. The orchestra started up again, this time playing an intense piece that had an Irish theme to it. It was amazing, Ivan thought. Once again the music flowed like a stream, creating such vivid colours in the mind of the person listening, it was impossible not to fall under its spell. They continued practicing like that for a few more hours, and the trio in the corridor stayed mesmerised all the while.

**A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed that!**

**I based the orchestra music on pieces that I actually got to take part in my own school's orchestra. In case you're wondering, I was thinking of Alice's Theme from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and Lord of the Dance. (That one's just epic in orchestral form, I kid you not. )**

**Anyway, thank you once again, and stay tuned for chapter 5!**


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